Perhaps no other conductor was a better advocate for the works of Jean Sibelius than Herbert von Karajan. With his seven symphonies and compositions such as Finlandia, the Karelia Suite and Valse Triste, Jean Sibelius was and is the best-known Finnish composer of all time. Deutsche Grammophon is re-releasing all the Sibelius works that Karajan recorded for the label on five CDs and one Blu-ray audio disc. They comprise outstanding recordings from the 1960s (analogue) and 1980s (digital), including Christian Ferras' 1965 recording of the Violin Concerto, which won both the Grand Prix du Disque and the Edison Prize. The analogue recordings have been newly remastered and are presented as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Surround Sound 5.1 and Dolby Atmos in High Definition 24-bit on Blu-ray Audio Disc. The booklet contains insightful notes by Austrian musicologist and Karajan Institute researcher Thomas Wozonig. Stereophile described Karajan’s Sibelius recordings from the 1960s as “magnificent, musically natural […] with some of the deepest, fattest bass and richest, warmest orchestral sound that's been committed to recordings for many years.“

Tracklist

Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker

CD 1

Symphony No. 4 in A minor Op. 63

The Swan of Tuonela Op. 22/2

*Gerhard Stempnik, Englischhorn

CD 2

Symphony No. 5 in E flat major Op. 82

Tapiola Op. 112

CD 3

Symphony No. 6 in D minor Op. 104

Symphony No. 7 in C major Op. 105

CD 4

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor Op. 47

*Christian Ferras, Violine

Finlandia Op. 26

Valse triste Op. 44/1

CD 5

Finlandia op. 26

The Swan of Tuonela Op. 22/2

*Gerhard Stempnik, Englischhorn

Valse triste Op. 44/1

Tapiola Op. 112

Pelléas et Mélisande Op. 46 (Suite)

* For reasons of audio quality, the BD-A does not include the recordings on CD 5